I'll See You in Court
Encyclopedia
"I'll See You in Court" is the tenth episode of the third season from the TV comedy series Married... with Children
. The episode follows the Bundys' attempts (at Marcy Rhoades's suggestion) to improve their love life by having marital relations in a different setting. While staying at the Hop-On-Inn, the Bundys discover a secretly recorded video tape of the Rhoades having sex. Despite this, the Bundys decide to have sex and end up having themselves recorded as well. The two families then proceed to sue the establishment for violation of their privacy.
Conflict erupted between the show's producers and the airing network
over the episode's content, which prevented the episode from being aired
for well over a decade, far past Married... with Children's initial television run. Even when first shown on American television in 2002, four lines were removed from the broadcast, despite it having already run uncut in other countries.
is to have sex in a different location. Upon Marcy's recommendation, Peggy and Al go to the Hop-On-Inn and discover a videotape
waiting for them in their room. After watching some of the tape, the Bundys realize that the couple having sex on the video is none other than Steve and Marcy. Although Al is disgusted, the action turns Peggy on and the couple has sex.
Peggy and Al return home and show the tape to Steve and Marcy, who are embarrassed by the film, much to the delight of the Bundys. The Rhoades express their dismay that they were secretly recorded, but Steve points out that the Bundys may have been videotaped as well. Marcy and Al are upset by this violation of their privacy and propose physical violence against the owners of the motel
. Steve and Peg, on the other hand, want to take action against the Hop-On-Inn and make money from the incident.
Peggy convinces Al to sue the motel with her and the Rhoades. Steve, not wanting a lawyer to take any of the million dollars he expects to win from the case, decides to act as one for the two families. The case begins with Steve presenting a lengthy opening statement, during which the stenographer and the judge
fall asleep. Next, Steve shows the subpoena
ed sex tapes from the motel, despite objections from his wife. After a few hours, the tape runs out and the courtroom applauds Steve and Marcy's romp. Next, Steve shows Peggy and Al's tape, which ends after a few seconds.
After the prosecution rests, the defense lawyer calls Marcy, Al, and Peggy to the stand. She asks Marcy a series of embarrassing questions, hoping to prove Marcy knew that the camera was there. Her tactic with the Bundys is to try to prove sexual intercourse
did not occur on the videotape. In the end, the Rhoades are awarded $10,000 but the Bundys receive nothing, because the jury
does not believe that sex occurred. After everyone exits the courtroom, Al attempts to prove that he can perform when he wants to and has sex with Peggy for hours on the judge's bench, unwittingly while being recorded by the courtroom
camera.
, however, objected to many of the lines in the show. It was not the first time that Fox censors had struggled with content in Married... with Children. Earlier in the season, producers and writers Michael G. Moye
and Ron Leavitt
had to fight with the censors to air "The Camping Show", an episode where the Bundys and the Rhodes are trapped in a cabin in the wilderness as all three women have their period
s at the same time. It was originally intended to be shown in November 1988, but its airing was delayed while the station wrangled with the subject matter. The episode aired on December 11, 1988, but the producers were forced to change the title from "A Period Piece" to "The Camping Show", despite the fact that the title itself does not appear onscreen and is not mentioned during the program.
The censors ended up pulling "I'll See You in Court", preventing it from airing in the United States during the series' original run. Terry Rakolta
, a woman from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, had launched a letter-writing campaign against the program after viewing the Season 3 episode "Her Cups Runneth Over" in January of 1989. Offended by the episode's content, she urged advertisers to boycott the show, several of whom did or pledged to more carefully screen the episodes for which they provided advertising. The campaign garnered more media attention than she had expected and the advertisers' more careful scrutiny of the individual episodes that they supported was a significant factor that led to the pulling of I'll See You in Court. Contributing to this was that the overall topic, sex, was not seen as a topic to be vocally and openly discussed on television.
In an interview with Playboy magazine, Michael Moye claimed that the producers dubbed the episode "The Lost Episode
" both because it never aired and because they felt that they lost control of the project. A typical episode of Married... with Children contained two or three censor notes denoting content that was "too graphic" or "over the edge.", whereas "I'll See You in Court" contained a total of 15. After arguing with the censors and conceding all but four of the notes, Fox still refused to air the episode. Moye claims that the final total of 13 changes was unacceptable because "[t]he integrity of the show was shot to hell."
The episode did, however, premiere in other parts of the world in 1990
. On June 18, 2002, the FX network broadcast the episode for the first time on American television. The episode, however, was still not shown in its entirety, as the network cut four lines during the scene where the two families decide on what to do about the videotapes:
Although the episode has aired in Australia
, Europe
and Canada
unedited, the above omission means that the show has never been broadcast in the United States in its entirety. The total time between when the episode was taped and when it premiered in the United States was 13 years, 5 months and 12 days.
, which was released on February 4, 2003 and the The Complete Third Season, which was released on January 25, 2005. DVD Verdict
claimed that the content of the show was not overly racy, even by the standards of the era. The review claims that, by 2003, the content was "so sedate as to be comatose." Film Freak Central gave the episode a grade of C+, calling the episode "quaint" and warning to "[n]ever trust the hype."
Married... with Children
Married... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created...
. The episode follows the Bundys' attempts (at Marcy Rhoades's suggestion) to improve their love life by having marital relations in a different setting. While staying at the Hop-On-Inn, the Bundys discover a secretly recorded video tape of the Rhoades having sex. Despite this, the Bundys decide to have sex and end up having themselves recorded as well. The two families then proceed to sue the establishment for violation of their privacy.
Conflict erupted between the show's producers and the airing network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
over the episode's content, which prevented the episode from being aired
Lost episode
A lost episode of a television series or radio series is one which is, or was at one point, not available for rerun or release on home video or DVD. In some cases, the term is something of a misnomer, used to describe an episode that for any number of reasons was not aired in its original...
for well over a decade, far past Married... with Children's initial television run. Even when first shown on American television in 2002, four lines were removed from the broadcast, despite it having already run uncut in other countries.
Plot summary
After writing to a televised sex-help program, Peggy decides that the best way to rekindle her relationship with AlAl Bundy
Al Bundy is a fictional character from the U.S. television series Married... with Children. He was played by Ed O'Neill.-Character history:...
is to have sex in a different location. Upon Marcy's recommendation, Peggy and Al go to the Hop-On-Inn and discover a videotape
Videotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
waiting for them in their room. After watching some of the tape, the Bundys realize that the couple having sex on the video is none other than Steve and Marcy. Although Al is disgusted, the action turns Peggy on and the couple has sex.
Peggy and Al return home and show the tape to Steve and Marcy, who are embarrassed by the film, much to the delight of the Bundys. The Rhoades express their dismay that they were secretly recorded, but Steve points out that the Bundys may have been videotaped as well. Marcy and Al are upset by this violation of their privacy and propose physical violence against the owners of the motel
Motel
A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...
. Steve and Peg, on the other hand, want to take action against the Hop-On-Inn and make money from the incident.
Peggy convinces Al to sue the motel with her and the Rhoades. Steve, not wanting a lawyer to take any of the million dollars he expects to win from the case, decides to act as one for the two families. The case begins with Steve presenting a lengthy opening statement, during which the stenographer and the judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
fall asleep. Next, Steve shows the subpoena
Subpoena
A subpoena is a writ by a government agency, most often a court, that has authority to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure. There are two common types of subpoena:...
ed sex tapes from the motel, despite objections from his wife. After a few hours, the tape runs out and the courtroom applauds Steve and Marcy's romp. Next, Steve shows Peggy and Al's tape, which ends after a few seconds.
After the prosecution rests, the defense lawyer calls Marcy, Al, and Peggy to the stand. She asks Marcy a series of embarrassing questions, hoping to prove Marcy knew that the camera was there. Her tactic with the Bundys is to try to prove sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
did not occur on the videotape. In the end, the Rhoades are awarded $10,000 but the Bundys receive nothing, because the jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
does not believe that sex occurred. After everyone exits the courtroom, Al attempts to prove that he can perform when he wants to and has sex with Peggy for hours on the judge's bench, unwittingly while being recorded by the courtroom
Courtroom
A courtroom is the actual enclosed space in which a judge regularly holds court.The schedule of official court proceedings is called a docket; the term is also synonymous with a court's caseload as a whole.-Courtroom design:-United States:...
camera.
Production and controversy
The episode was written by Jeanne Baruch and Jeanne Romano, both newcomers to Married... with Children. Directed by Gerry Cohen, the show was taped on January 6, 1989 with a planned airing date on February 19 of same year. The censors of the Fox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, however, objected to many of the lines in the show. It was not the first time that Fox censors had struggled with content in Married... with Children. Earlier in the season, producers and writers Michael G. Moye
Michael G. Moye
Michael George Moye is an American photographer and a former television writer and producer. In his television career he has written for shows such as The Jeffersons, Diff'rent Strokes, Good Times, and 227 and produced It's Your Move and The Jeffersons. His best known work is likely the 1987...
and Ron Leavitt
Ron Leavitt
Ron Leavitt was the co-creator of the American television show Married... with Children...
had to fight with the censors to air "The Camping Show", an episode where the Bundys and the Rhodes are trapped in a cabin in the wilderness as all three women have their period
Menstruation
Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining . It occurs on a regular basis in sexually reproductive-age females of certain mammal species. This article focuses on human menstruation.-Overview:...
s at the same time. It was originally intended to be shown in November 1988, but its airing was delayed while the station wrangled with the subject matter. The episode aired on December 11, 1988, but the producers were forced to change the title from "A Period Piece" to "The Camping Show", despite the fact that the title itself does not appear onscreen and is not mentioned during the program.
The censors ended up pulling "I'll See You in Court", preventing it from airing in the United States during the series' original run. Terry Rakolta
Terry Rakolta
Terry Rakolta led a boycott against the Fox Broadcasting Company sitcom Married... with Children.A Mother Is Heard as Sponsors Abandon a TV Hit New York Times Born Terry Lynn Stern, she is the sister of Ronna Romney, former daughter-in-law of former Michigan governor George Romney. Rakolta's...
, a woman from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, had launched a letter-writing campaign against the program after viewing the Season 3 episode "Her Cups Runneth Over" in January of 1989. Offended by the episode's content, she urged advertisers to boycott the show, several of whom did or pledged to more carefully screen the episodes for which they provided advertising. The campaign garnered more media attention than she had expected and the advertisers' more careful scrutiny of the individual episodes that they supported was a significant factor that led to the pulling of I'll See You in Court. Contributing to this was that the overall topic, sex, was not seen as a topic to be vocally and openly discussed on television.
In an interview with Playboy magazine, Michael Moye claimed that the producers dubbed the episode "The Lost Episode
Lost episode
A lost episode of a television series or radio series is one which is, or was at one point, not available for rerun or release on home video or DVD. In some cases, the term is something of a misnomer, used to describe an episode that for any number of reasons was not aired in its original...
" both because it never aired and because they felt that they lost control of the project. A typical episode of Married... with Children contained two or three censor notes denoting content that was "too graphic" or "over the edge.", whereas "I'll See You in Court" contained a total of 15. After arguing with the censors and conceding all but four of the notes, Fox still refused to air the episode. Moye claims that the final total of 13 changes was unacceptable because "[t]he integrity of the show was shot to hell."
The episode did, however, premiere in other parts of the world in 1990
1990 in television
For the American TV schedule, see: 1990-91 United States network television schedule.The year 1990 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1990.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
. On June 18, 2002, the FX network broadcast the episode for the first time on American television. The episode, however, was still not shown in its entirety, as the network cut four lines during the scene where the two families decide on what to do about the videotapes:
Although the episode has aired in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
unedited, the above omission means that the show has never been broadcast in the United States in its entirety. The total time between when the episode was taped and when it premiered in the United States was 13 years, 5 months and 12 days.
Reception
The episode remained unaired for so long in the United States that contemporary critics did not have an opportunity to review it. After the 2002 airing, the episode became available in the United States on the Married with Children, Vol. 1 – The Most Outrageous Episodes DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, which was released on February 4, 2003 and the The Complete Third Season, which was released on January 25, 2005. DVD Verdict
DVD Verdict
DVD Verdict is a judicial themed website for DVD reviews. The site was founded in 1999. Current editor in chief is Michael Stailey, who also reviews for Rotten Tomatoes...
claimed that the content of the show was not overly racy, even by the standards of the era. The review claims that, by 2003, the content was "so sedate as to be comatose." Film Freak Central gave the episode a grade of C+, calling the episode "quaint" and warning to "[n]ever trust the hype."